"The first group of assassins to be found in the historical record is that of the Hashshashin who operated in Persia, Syria, and Turkey, eventually spreading throughout the Middle East. They assassinated their political and financial foes until the organization met its own demise in the middle of the 13th century.

When we think of an assassin we see a figure lurking and waiting in the shadows, killing for dark political reasons, with little thought for passions of the heart or interest in money. And that isn't far off from how the actual assassins operated in the 11th through 13th centuries…."Main pagelink